XVIII

THE PREFACE. in the more vigorous part of his Life, to have led the King himself through his own Exile, with Credit and Dignity, and in more Honour and Reputation, than ufually attends Unfortunate Princes, that are deprived of their own Dominions; and at last, in the fulness of God's own Time, had the Happiness to have fo confiderable a fhare in the Conduct of his Restoration. For it was by this Author principally, that the continual correfpondence was kept up with the Loyal Party in England, in order to cultivate good thoughts of his Majefty in the minds of his People, and to bring them, in fome fort, acquainted with his Temper and Difpofition, before they could know his Perfon. This Author likewife framed, difpofed, and drew thofe Letters and Declarations from Breda, which had fo wonderful an Ef fect all over England, and were fo generally approved here, that they were, almost all, turn'd into Acts of Parliament.

Many perhaps may not unreasonably believe, that the Marriage of the then Duke of York with the Daughter of this Author might have been one great occafion if not the Foundation of his Fall; and though it be most undoubtedly true, that this very unequal Allyance was brought to pafs entirely without the knowledge, or Privity of this Author, but fo much the contrary, that when the King, at that time, made him more than ordinary expreffions of his Grace to him, with Alfurances that this Accident fhould not leffen the Efteem, and Favour his Majesty had for him; yet his own good Judgement made him immediately fenfible, and declare it too, to thofe he was intimate with, that this must certainly be the occafion of the diminution of his Credit.

The continual dropping of Water does not more infal libly make an hollow in a Stone, than the perpetual Whispers of ill Men must make impreffion in the heart of any Prince, that will always lie open to hear them; nor can any Man's mind be fufficiently guarded from the influence of continued Calumny, and Backbiting.

When

When the Duke of York had made this Marriage, it was not unnatural to thofe ill minded Men to fuggeft, that, for the time to come, that Minifter would be contriving Advantages for the good of his own Pofterity, to the prejudice of his Soveraign, and Mafter. What their wickedness, poffibly, would have allow'd Them to praEtice, was ground enough to them for an Accusation of His Innocency.

It was true, that the Duke of York was become the Chancellor's Son in Law; and therefore they hoped to be believed, when they faid, that to fatisfy his Ambition, he would forfeit his Integrity, which, God knows,

was not true.

Thus what Tacitus obferves in the time of Tiberius, of Granius Marcellus, who was inform'd against to have Spoken ill words of that Emperour, was here, in fome fort, verified on our Author.

Inevitabile crimen, fays Tacitus concerning thofe words, nam, quia vera erant, etiam dicta credebantur.

The Allyance was undeniable; there were Children born of it; and the King was not bleffed with any from his Marriage. An inevitable Crime laid on our Author. For, because it was true, that there were Children from one Marriage, and not from the other, it was fuggested, that both Marriages had been fo contrived by the Chancellor though the King knew very well, that his own Marriage had not been first projected, or propofed by this Author; and that he had often told his Majefty, what fufpicions there were in the World, that that Great and Virtuous Princess might prove unfruitful.

Another inevitable Misfortune, which was then laid as a Crime too on our Author, was a Report very faljely, but very industriously spread abroad, that first begat a Coldnefs, and, by degrees, very much difinclined a great many of the Royal Party to him; a Report, that be fhould have inftilled into the King's mind a Principle, that he must prefer his Enemies, and advance Them, to gain

them

them to be his Friends; and for his Old Friends, it was no matter how he used Them, for They would be fo ftill. To which very fcandalous mifreprefentation We must give this true Answer :

It fell out indeed, that every Man's Expectation, that bad labour'd all the heat of the day in the Vineyard, who had receiv'd Wounds in their Perfons in the day of Battle, or fuffer'd in their Fortunes or Liberties, for the prefervation of a good Confcience during the Ufurpation of Tyranny and Anarchy, was not, and, alas! could not, be recompenced immediately according to their Merit, or the Hopes they had entertained: And because it was true that they were disappointed, it was believ'd by fome of them, that our Author, being Minister at that time, had inftilled this damnable Doctrine and Pofition, that it was no matter how the King ufed his Old Friends; and because it was true that they were not confidered as they deferved, it must be believ'd, as they would have it, that He was the Author of that Advice.

It was true that the King, who was fo wonderfully Reftored with all that Glory and Peace, more perhaps upon the confidence of his Declarations and Promijes from Breda, than any other Human means, and who bad thought it neceffary to recommend, in his most gracious Speech to both Houses, upon the paffing the Act of Indemnity, that all marks of distinction and divifion amongst bis Subjects, fhould be for ever buried and forgotten, did not think it for his Honour, and true Intereft, to Reign over a Party only of his Subjects; and therefore, immediately after his Restoration, in order to the Settlement of his Court, and Family, the then Earl of Manchester, whofe part every body remember'd to have been very Eminent, in the time of the Rebellion, against King Charles the Firft, but who had induftriously applied himself feveral years to the King, to make reparation for his former Errors, and had been confiderably ferviceable to him in feveral occafions, was Ho

noured

noured with the Office of Lord Chamberlain of the Houfe-hold; to let the Kingdom fee, how the King Himfelf began with practifing what he exhorted his Subjects to, that admirable Art of Forgetfulness, when he put Such a Perfon into Jo Eminent a Station in the Government, near his own Perfon. And it was certainly of Advantage to the King, in the beginning of his Settlement here, as well as a Mark of Justice in his Nature, to let his Subjects know and feel, that every one of them might capacitate himself, by his future behaviour, for any Dignity and Preferment.

But it could never be in the Heart of a Man, who had been all along on the Suffering fide, to do his own Party fo bafe an Office with the King, as this falfe Report did infinuate. He might be of opinion that the fatted Calf was to be killed, for the Entertainment of the Prodigal Son, whenever he return'd; that there might be no diftinction of Parties kept up amongst Us; but he could never forget the Birthright of the Eldest Son, who had ferved the King fo many Years, and had not at any time tranfgreffed his Commandment, and fo well deferved that praife, and that reward, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. And yet this Calumny, falfe as it was, was another inevitable Crime, or at least Misfortune. For without that opinion, which fome of the Royal Party had Jucked that the Chancellor bad abandori'd their Intereft, it had been impoffible to have engaged a Majority in that Parliament, to have confented to that Act of Banishment.

an,

God forgive the Inventors and Contrivers of that foul Calumny: But, by his Almighty Providence, who from Heaven reveals Secrets, it was not long before that Party was difabused. For, though the Chancellor, for Some time, bore the blame, that they had not been more confidered, it was quickly found, that it was not from Him, but from the mistaken Politicks of the new Statesmen, that they were defign'd to be neglected. Nor did

they

XXII

THE PREFAC E. they at all find themselves more taken notice of, after his Removal; nor have the feveral other Parties in the Kingdom, that have been cherished, and countenanced in oppofition to this, much declined, as We conceive, to this day.

But after all, We are humbly of opinion, that it was neither of thefe above mention'd unavoidable Misfortunes, nor both together, that gave the fatal, and last decifive blow to the fortune of this good Man. The King had too good a Judgement, and was too well natured, to have been impofed upon barely by fuch Attacks as thefe; which he knew very well himself, as to our Author's guilt in them, were Frivolous and Unjuft.

But there are always in Courts fecret Engines, that Actually confummate the Mifchiefs, that others, in a more publick way, have been long in bringing to pass: And in this Cafe there were two principal ones:

The One, the Intereft of fome of the Zealots of the Popish Party, who knew this Minifter had too much Credit in the Nation, though he should lofe it with the King, to fuffer the Projects, they perpetually bad, of propagating their Religion, to take effect, whilst he should be in the Kingdom.

The Other, the Faction of the Ladys, too prevalent at that time with the King, who were afraid of fuch a Man's being near him, as durft talk to him, as he had feveral times taken the Liberty to do, of the fcandal of their lives, and reprove both the Master and the MiStreffes, for their publick unlawful Conversations.

Thus thefe two Interests, joyning their Forces, were fo powerful, that there was no refifting them, by a Man, who could not make Court to Either. And fo he fell a Sacrifice to the Ambition, and Malice of all forts of Enemies, who were defirous of getting new places to themfelves in the Court, and of trying new Inventions in the State.

And yet it is to be obferved, that That King, who was, almost all his Reign, ever labouring, with much pains,

10